Make sure your Christmas tree isn't near a heat source that dries it out so that it becomes a potential fire hazard. After you check the tree and its location, locate your fire extinguishers and make sure everyone in the house knows where they are and how to use them.
You also can give the family a present that can last a lifetime--change the batteries in your fire alarms. Don't have any? Well go out, buy a few and install them. What are you waiting for?
Buy a good carbon monoxide detector.
Even though you've probably had a safe holiday so far, there's still time to check your Christmas lights for frayed or cracked wires you may have missed when you put them up. If any are cracked, frayed or otherwise damaged, pull them out of service and discard them. You can get some good buys on Christmas lights after the holidays and next year will be a safer holiday.
Turn the lights out when you go to sleep or leave the house.
Be careful with your holiday plants. Many have poisonous parts that you wouldn't want a toddler to sample.
If you live where it snows, keep your walkways clear for your visitors. If you have ice you can't chip away, throw some oil-dry grit or cat litter on top to provide traction. When visitors come calling, turn on the lights so they can see where they are going.
Having visitors who are bringing little children with them? Child-proof your house. Take all those under-the-sink cleansers, glass cleaners and other home cleaner products and put them up high in an out-of-the-way room you can lock. Also put away sharp tools and other similar objects.
If you use old tree ornaments, be aware that real old ones may have been painted with lead-based paint. Keep them out of the hands of toddlers and babies. Also make sure they can't get their hands on any of the bubbling lights--the ones with liquid in them.These can contain toxic substances.
If you experience snowy weather, don't be a hero and shovel more than you are capable of shoveling. You don't want a heart attack from overexertion. Do yourself and your family a favor, hire a few neighborhood teenagers to clear your walks and driveway. You can spare the money; you can't spare your life.
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